Harness-connector.



lln'irnn starts Parent Urricn JOHN E. ELAM, OF OAKVILLE, TENNESSEE.

HARNESS-CONNECTOR,

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 661,288, dated November 6, 1900. Application filed January 18. 1900. Serial No. 1,954. (No model.)

TO all whom, it *nuy conccrn:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. ELAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakville, Shelby County, Ten nessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fastening for harness-breechings or trace-oarriers, and is especially designed to connect breechings to chain traces.

It has for its object the furnishing of a simple, cheap, and durable fastening which may be readily attached to the harness and has such form that when so attached it cannot easily be accidentally disarranged or detaehed therefroni.

My invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fnlly hereinafter set forth in the drawings and clains.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, and in which the same letters designate the same or like parts in all the Views, Figure l shows a side elevation of my fastening as applied to connect the breeching and trace,with portions of each. Fig. 2 shows a different way of attaching the device. Fig. 3 shows a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. i shows a like section on the line 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, with the fastening being applied to the harness.

Referring now to the drawings, the deviee consists of a U-shaped metal loop A, having eyes C in the ends of the sides of the U,whieh eyes are substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to the plane of the legs of the U. The metal at the bend A' of the U is thickened to take up the wear caused by the chain, and the loop at that portion is enlarged to permit a slight play of the link B of the chain. As the legs of the piece A approach the eye C they come gradually closer together until their distance apart is only large enough to permit the free entrance of the chain-link D. A strap B is put through the eyes C to connect the piece A with the ring F of the breeching G. The preferred way of fastening the strap is that shown in Fig. 3, in which the strap is first inserted through one of the eyes C, then through the ring F, then through the other one of the eyes C, and again through the ring F, and then fastened by means of the buckle E. This buckle E is fastened to one end of the strap B, which is so inserted through the eyes C of the loop A and through the ring F that when fastened the buckle is turned away from the horse and toward the outside, and is thus readily accessible from the outside. If at any time a longer fastening be desired, the strap B, Fig. 4, can be slipped through both eyes C and then through the ring F and buckled, as before. It will be seen that by the first of these methods a double strap is obtained, and yet the link B is prevented from jumping out of the metal piece A, on which the wear should come, and catching in the leather strap B. This is clearly shown in Fig. 3, where D' is a dotted position of the link D, showing that the strap B, passing around the cross-bars H of the eyes C, is brought too close together to pernit the passage of the link D'from the piece A into the strap B, and the ring F, being of approximately the same thickness as the link D, will likewise be prevented from passing from the strap B into the loop A. In Fig. l the piece A is shown as being inserted through a link D of the chain. It is, however, not necessary to put the piece A through the ehain-link I), for it may be fixed as shown in Fig. 2, in which the ehain-link D is inserted through the piece A, which piece A has then virtually the same range and motion as when it is inserted in the chain-link D, being confined between the links which connect with the link D on each side.

Where the strap B passes through one of the eyes C of the piece A, thence through the ring F, thence through the other of the eyes C, and thence again through the ring F to the buekle E, I provide a loop I, through which I pass the strap B after putting it through the first of the eyes C. This loop serves to keep the strap connected to the piece A while the fastening is not in use.

In Fig. 5 I show the method of applying the strap B to the piece A and then to the ring F. The strap B is first put through one of the eyes C and extended in the dotted position B'. It is then bent down in the position shown and slipped through the ring F and thence through the other eye O, as shown. It can then be brought around through the ring F again and huckled.

I have shown and described my invention substantially as it should be made; but I am aware that slight deviations may be made from the details here shown Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I therefore claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. As a harness-fastening, the combination of a narrow U-shaped metal piece enlarged at the bend of the U, havnglegs of substantially equal length, With eyes in the upper ends of the said legs, the eyes being substantially parallel to each other and occupying planes which are substantially at right angles to the plane of said legs, With a strap with buckle thereon inserted through the said eyes, all substantially as and 'for the 'purposes set forth.

2. In a harness the combination With the breeching and the trace, of a connection, said connection comprising a narrow U-shaped metal piece, enlarged at the bend of the U, having eyes in the upper ends of the legs substantially parallel to each other and substantially at right angles to the plane of said legs, which legs are closer together at the eye end than at the bend of the said U, and a strap with buckle thereon, said strap being inserted through the said eyes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrihing witnesses.

JOHN E. ELAM.

Wit-nesses:

C. W. HEISKELL, J. P. HOLT. 

